This is Paper

November 1, 2014July 18, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

I am constantly discovering new Polish brands which create and produce unique, innovative and beautiful pieces of daily use. This time, I met the Warsaw-based label THIS IS PAPER, which first started with 100% ecologically-made bags and rucksacks, and now is all based on very various items. From knitwear to garden tools and from “raw” homeware to printed magazines, the brand keeps it’s fresh, but simple, high quality level. They create objects which are lasting, keep on being sustainable and well-designed. Launched in 2013 by Aleksander and Zuzanna, the project values timeless over trendy, plain over fancy and less over more. In response to that, THIS IS PAPER decided to curate an online collection of objects that they would be proud to own, designing and collecting items which are made from natural resources. Some of the products they source are from manufacturers and craftsmen in Poland. Others are designed and manufactured by their studio itself, by hand, at THIS IS PAPER Warsaw studio. All of them are made with respect for the Earth’s scarce resources and little concern for passing trends. More on thisispapershop.com

And here are my favourite objects from their appealing on-line store…

Cultural Fashion

August 31, 2014August 31, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Fashion and culture always had a power, if joint together. So no wonder why the artsy trend for fall’14 are so strong- we’ve got Bauhaus architecture, we’ve got Russian films and we’ve got dadaism- an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century. Many claim Dada began in Zurich, Switzerland in 1916, spreading to Berlin shortly thereafter but the height of New York Dada was the year before, in 1915. One of the most famous dada artist is Hannah Höch. The collage art movent which had a lot of grey, khaki and solemn colours, got spotted at Celine, Carven and Haider Ackermann this season.

Weimar was another artistic movement, but this time coming from Germany. With Bauhaus at it’s roots, Weimar was popular for it’s geometrical forms, strong colours and minimalism. The rectangular pockets from Givenchy are totally Weimar, isn’t it? And these Jacquemus coats and bold, Thomas Tait dresses…

Bauhaus! art school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term Bauhaus – literally “house of construction” – was understood as meaning “School of Building”. It’s most famous graduate? Mies Van Der Rohe. But nowaday, it’s Prada, Balenciaga, Alexander Wang, Dior and Acne, who does the symetrical silhouttes and metallic “constructions” in their designs (best example- that Prada wedge).

If talking of cinema, Miuccia Prada learnt by hard all the scens of The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant. This German movie from 1972 has an all-female cast and is set in the home of the protagonist, Petra von Kant (Berliner fashion designer). It follows the changing dynamics in her relationships with the other women. It’s very sensual, and the clothes and mood perfectly match into Prada’s AW14.

The Place of Meeting Can’t be Changed is a Russian movie, which has it’s plot happening in 1945, Moscow. The fashion here strongly reflects Nicolas Ghesquiere’s debutant Louis Vuitton collection. The higlighted collars, masculine jackets, v cuts, floral prints and tweed are all very, very 40’s.

Aah, Marlene Dietrich! The famous singer and actress, all-time fashion icon! Her flawless gowns and love to non-chalant fur is strongly visible in the moodboards of such designers like Jason Wu, Rodebjer and Ports 1961. In other words, lady-like, chic and effortless.

Puro / Nifty No. 20

August 15, 2014August 15, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

An extremely hype place opened up in my city, Poznan. It’s the Puro Hotel, which is one of the most beautiful design hotels I ever saw. Located on Żydowska street, it’s a stone throw from the old market. Furnished with the hottest chairs, rugs and tables, this place is to be. And it also has an amazing bar / restaurant – Nifty No.20. It serves traditional Polish food, but in a totally new version. I really recommend the blinis with tomatoes and crabs… seriously yum. With it’s SoHO vibe, the Puro hotel is a perfect place to visit during one of the lazy Fridays… by the way, what do you think of Lena’s own designed #TheRobotPajama? I think it’s gorgeous!

Jill Platner

August 5, 2014August 5, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

When two years ago I was in New York, I had a chance to visit Jill Platner store on 113 Crosby Street in SoHO. However, I didn’t really get interested in it, but thanks god, I took one of their beautiful postcards… and guess what, I found it today during the summer cleaning! I checked their site, their store and I am so fascinated in it right now! For over 20 years, Jill Platner has created jewelry and sculpture from different metals like gold or silver. In 1998 she opened a shop on SoHo’s Crosby Street. The space has not only served as a retail outlet for her jewelry, but a gallery for her sculpture as well. At the center of Jill’s work is a fluid sense of movement, inspired by both organic and urban forms like feathers or tree branches. Jewelry designs are conceived with an innate sense of how they will look and feel on the body. Hinged pieces drape like fabric, and hammered metals beg to be picked up and felt. Every piece has a unique physical presence and tactile quality. A simple elegance underscores everything Jill does. And the monumental sculptures which hang from the ceilings remind me of over-sized fish bone sculptures or something alike… in other words, while being in New York the next time, you must check out this beautiful store and Platner’s style!

Cai Guo-Qiang

July 29, 2014July 29, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Cai Guo-Qiang is the moment’s artist, whic uses fake animal figures in his monumental installations. His current exhibition called “Falling to Earth” happens at GOMA Art Gallery in Australia, and it’s situated in a huge, white space, where the only sound heard are water droplets falling down from the ceiling. Here, you might see wolves replicas flying in the air and a huge crystal blue pool, from which such animals like leopards, polar bears and tigers drink… “My idea of making this work is not to do any criticism or replication but to focus on what it means for sculptors to create realist sculptures in the time the work was created. …The end goal is not to make perfect sculptures and have them exhibited elsewhere and then have them collected somewhere. The key is to focus on the process of fabrication of these artworks, to pay attention to the process of the artists making these sculptures, rather than where these sculptures will end up and how they will look in the end.” said the New York based artist. Surely the idea has a very strong aim… what do you think of these a bit creepy installations?